McHugh visits National Guard, Reserve units. (Washington Pulse).

The National Guard and Reserves will face recruitment and retention problems if the Pentagon and Congress do not develop policies to reduce the strain and improve the quality of life for these forces, said Rep. John M. McHugh, R-N.Y.

McHugh led a bipartisan HASC delegation to the European Command last month to determine how reserve personnel are coping with the increased demand on their time.

In a report to the Armed Services' Committee, he said that his visit to Europe confirmed his belief that the troops are overstretched. He noted that the demand for overall reserve forces has grown from 1 million to 13 million man-days per year since Desert Storm.

"While in Europe, we heard about strained marriages, lost businesses and jobs, and decisions by many reservists to not re-enlist because of the overwhelming demands on their time," he said. "Many reservists also told me they no longer list their service on job applications or resumes for fear that prospective employers might not hire them because of likely and frequent absences."

McHugh said he plans to push legislative initiatives in the 2004 Defense Authorization Act to address these issues.